Francis a



' Ninn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS A. lVILSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN TOBACCOCOMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,822, dated May30,1899. Application iled December 29, 1898. Serial No. 700.580. (Nomodel.)

T0 all whom t nutty concern,.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS A. WILSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, county of New York, and State of NewYork,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boxes, fullydescribed and represented in the following specification and theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in boxes adapted to be carried onthe person of a smoker and designed primarily for containing tobacco forpipe-smoking or for the manufacture of cigarettes by the user. It hasrecently become desirable to package or box tobacco designed forpipe-smoking or for the manufacture of cigarettes by the user in layers,each layer containing the proper quantity of tobacco to fill a pipe orform a oiga rette. Difficulties havebeen met with, however, in devisinga suitable box or receptacle for containing tobacco in this form, as,owing to the delicate character of the layers and the repeated handlingand opening of the box by the user and consequent liability of thelayers being displaced in the box or being caught under the cover of thesame as the latter is closed, the layers are liable to become broken ordisintegrated and the layer form of the tobacco thus destroyed and thetobacco reduced substantially to bulk.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a box in whichthese difficulties are avoided and which will in addition also fulfilallthe requirements as to eheapness and as to size, Weight, and form ofboxes designed to be carried on the person of the user. The box providedby the present invention also, as will hereinafter appear, is of such ashape as to conform to the body of the user when carried in his pocketand also to the hollow or palm of the hand with which he holds the boxwhen withdrawing therefrom part of the contents. Although the presentinvention is designed'primarily to provide a box for containing tobaccoin this form, yet, as will hereinafter appear, the box resultingfrom'the improvements constituting the present invention is also usefulfor containing other articles-such, for example, as cigarettes.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a boxembodying the im provements constituting the present invention. Fig. 2is a cross-section of the same on a reduced scale, the box being shownas containing smolring or cigarette tobacco in the layer form heretoforereferred to. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the cover of the box,however, being thrown open and the box shown as containing cigarettes.

Referring to said drawings, the body of the box consists of a bottom a,having sides a a2, and a cover b, hinged to one of the sides a andprovided with flanged portions b b2, corresponding to the sides a a2 ofthe body of the box. As will be observed, the bottom a of the box is ofunusual form, such bottom being bent or curved upwardly at its 'endsnext the sides a', so as to give to the upper` faceof the bottom adished or trough-like form, with the result that the contents of thebox, whatever they may be, willhave a tendency away from the sides a ofthe box and toward the center thereof. A box so constructed isparticularly advantageous for containing tobacco divided up into layerseach containing a given quantity and for preserw ,ing intact itslayer-like form. The cover b of the box is curved upwardly at its endsnext its flanged portions b', so as to conform to the curvature of thebottom a. In Fig. 2 the box is illustrated as containing layers c oftobacco. When used for such purpose, the layers are arranged, as shownin Fig. 2, with their ends toward the sides a of the body of the box.Thus arranged the bodies of the layers will sink downwardly, as shown,so as to correspond with the curvature of the bottom, wit-h their endsin engagement with or in position to be engaged by the sides a of thebox, the layers gravitating toward the center of the bottom and awayfrom the sides thereof, so that there is but little if any liability ofthe layers becoming displaced or 4being caught and broken by the cover bas the latter is opened and closed.

Although the box thus described is designed particularly for containingtobacco in layers, it will be, obvious on inspection of Fig. 3 thatsuchy box may, if desired, be used for other purposes-aas, for example,containing cigarettes-'as illustrated in that igure. When ICO thecontents `of such box consist of cigarettes or like articles, however,such articles must be arranged as shown in Fig. S-that is, in adirection transverse tothe curvature of the bottom of the box with theirends next the sides CL2 of the body of the box instead of in thedirection of such curvature,` as in the case of the layers c in Fig. 2.

Boxes designed for containing tobacco in layer form must be cheap and ofconvenient size and Weight to be carried upon the person of asmoker.cover of the box here shown are each made of a single piece of sheetmetal suitably stamped by means of dies or otherwise to form the sides aa2 of the bodyand the corresponding flanges b' b2 of the cover of thebox, the box thus formed being light and exceedingly compact and cheapto manufacture.

What I claim isl. A box for holding tobacco or similar substances in theforms referred to, consisting of bottom a having sides a', c2, saidbottom curv- For these reasons the body and to and of like curvature tothebottoin, Whereby when the box is laid in the hand of the user it willconform to the palmi-hereof and the contents of the box gravitate towardthe center thereof, substantially as described.

2. A box for holding tobacco or similarsubstances in the forms referredto, consisting of bottom a having sides a', a2 of sheet metal, saidbottom curving upwardly toward sides a', and a cover or top also ofsheet metal hinged to one side a and of like curvature to the bottom andprovided with flanges b', b2 embracing sides a', a2, whereby when thebox is laid in the hand of the user' it will conform to the palm thereofand the contents of the box gravitate toward the center thereof,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set M my hand in the presence oftW'o subscribing Witnessesl FRANCIS A. VILSON.l

Vitnesses:

RUFUS L. PATTERSON, WILLIAM H. ScHRoDER.

